How Pearson is meeting the growing need for AI certification — and why it matters

“AI is not going to take your job. The person who uses AI is going to take your job.”

These wise words, or versions of them, are being echoed by leaders across industries, including CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang. With Generative AI (Gen AI) fast becoming integral to the way we learn and earn, there is an imperative need for students and workers to master AI – and prove it.

Demand for Gen AI skills is skyrocketing across industries and employers are increasingly making it a requirement. According to the 2024 Work Trend Index from Microsoft and LinkedIn, 66% of business leaders indicate that they would not hire candidates lacking in AI skills. And recent research conducted by Pearson revealed that over two-thirds of UK secondary students are eager to learn AI skills. Getting certified in AI is an increasingly important way to show that you understand how to harness its power in a responsible way to maximise productivity and drive outcomes.

That’s why Pearson recently launched its Generative AI Foundations certification. It's designed to equip professionals and students, including high schoolers, with the essential skills needed to work with Gen AI. Developed by Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, and Mindstone, a Pearson Ventures-backed business, it demonstrates a formal level of Gen AI proficiency for employers who are increasingly using AI tools to boost productivity, efficiency, and workflow.

This certification joins Pearson’s existing suite of AI accreditations, including our Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in AI aimed at sixth form students in the UK, AI badging we offer through Credly, and the AI course within our IT Specialist certification offered through Pearson VUE.

Here are five reasons it’s important to verify AI skills:

1. Stay competitive: in almost every sector, demand for people with AI skills is growing massively. Having a formal way to show that you’re on top of AI trends and can use AI to solve business challenges is golden to employers and can help advance your career.

2. Maximise efficiencies: Pearson’s Skills Outlook: Reclaim the Clock research found that many everyday tasks at work could be easily supported by Gen AI. In fact, Gen AI could help US workers reclaim nearly 78 million hours per week by 2026. The Generative AI Foundations certification teaches prompt engineering, which helps minimise errors and save time by reducing the need for follow-ups. It unlocks Gen AI’s full potential through higher quality outputs, leading to greater business efficiencies over time.

3. Improve decision making and problem solving: one of the things AI does well is to quickly analyse large data sets. Knowing how to interpret and use this data to make strategic decisions is an invaluable skill to any team.

4. Mitigate misinformation and disinformation: one of the challenges of AI is its potential to generate fake or misleading content. Being certified means understanding how to recognise and mitigate risks associated with AI-generated content.

5. Ethical use: it’s crucial that companies adopt AI in a way that is ethical and responsible. Our AI certifications help people grasp the societal impact of AI, including recognising bias and understanding privacy concerns.

Gary Gates, Managing Director, Pearson VUE, said: “Generative AI is reshaping how early-in-career and seasoned professionals work, learn, and create across every sector. Certiport’s Generative AI Foundations certification equips people with technical AI skills and an ethical framework for principled AI use, addressing the skills gap and establishing a benchmark for Generative AI competency."

Investing in the future

AI certification not only equips people with essential technical skills but also helps them navigate the ethical challenges of AI. In today’s tech-driven economy, certification is an investment for the future, boosting people’s employability and career paths while ensuring safe and responsible application. Pearson is proud to meet the demand for verified AI proficiency through our growing bank of AI credentials.

Learn more about Pearson's Generative AI Foundations certification.